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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26795500">Whatever It Takes</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Green/pseuds/Green'>Green</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Whatever It Takes [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Teen Wolf (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Braeden is a badass, Hurt Derek, Kidnapped Derek Hale, M/M, Multi, Pre-Relationship, Rescue Missions, Stiles Stilinski Loves Derek Hale, Torture, but so are Peter and Stiles, the M rating is for violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 07:01:03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,604</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26795500</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Green/pseuds/Green</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When Derek goes missing, Peter and Stiles have to find him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Peter Hale &amp; Stiles Stilinski</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Whatever It Takes [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1954054</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>118</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>634</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Whatever It Takes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I've had this written for awhile but it's not beta'd. The series will eventually be Derek/Peter/Stiles but there's no relationship in this one.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>PETER</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"I'll give you one more chance to tell me where my nephew is," Peter says, and even though he knows his eyes are glowing and he feels like he's teetering on the edge of madness again, the words come out mildly.</p>
<p>Maybe that's a mistake. Maybe this hunter doesn't believe what he's capable of.</p>
<p>"Oh yeah, and then what?" the hunter asks. His face is bloody but he's still full of bluster.</p>
<p>Peter growls. "Then I start peeling the skin from your body with my claws."</p>
<p>"I told you," the hunter says. He turns his face and spits blood on the concrete floor. "I don't know anything about Derek Hale, just that he up and disappeared a month ago."</p>
<p>Peter grasps the man's wrist and slices a line down his arm. The hunter hisses but doesn't otherwise react. Peter shakes his head. "Where is he? He was last seen with one of yours."</p>
<p>The hunter shakes his head. "News to me."</p>
<p>"Then tell me where Claude Thatcher is," Peter says, making a perfectly perpendicular line to go with the first. "He was there. He knows what happened to Derek."</p>
<p>The hunter swallows, staring at his arm. "Claude isn't one of mine."</p>
<p>Peter slides a bloodied fingertip under the skin and starts to peel it back. "Wrong answer."</p>
<p>"He was on loan!"</p>
<p>Peter narrows his eyes. "Brian. That's your name, right? Well, Brian. Tell me where Claude is, and I might let you go."</p>
<p>"I'm not a fucking snitch, and you're just an animal," the hunter pants, still staring at his arm. </p>
<p>Peter smiles — more a baring of his teeth than anything — and peels the skin back more, listening to Brian cry out. There's just more of the same for him if he doesn't talk, and he's got to know that by now.</p>
<p>"You and I have something in common, then. Loyalty. I want you to think about this for a minute: me, loyal to my pack and my family, and utterly ruthless when it comes to protecting them. I've got years of experience in making people talk and making them scream. If you don't tell me where to find my nephew, I'm going to kill you and move on to the next hunter in your little group. And then another, after that. I'll go through them all. Your whole little family will be decimated, and it'll be all your fault."</p>
<p>"You're fucking nuts," Brian pants, then screams again as Peter slices another two inches of skin off his arm. </p>
<p>"I went through a period of time where I was rather crazy," Peter says conversationally. "But I'm much clearer now." He drops Brian's left arm and slices his shirt open. "You know, it hurts much more when it's on the torso." His claws hover over the hunter's heart. Peter can hear it slamming in the man's chest.</p>
<p>"Claude left! He went back to Virginia and that's all I know!"</p>
<p>Peter smiles, this time more genuinely. "Oh, I think you know more than that. Keep talking."</p>
<p>Brian shakes his head. "He was on loan from a smaller family. The Calaveras hooked us up."</p>
<p>"What was the name of the hunting family Claude came from?" When it looks like Brian won't say more, Peter slices a clean line in his skin.</p>
<p>"Hayes!" Brian says. "Now, leave my family alone, we don't know anything about your nephew!"</p>
<p>Peter gives him a long look. "You could have told me this hours ago."</p>
<p>Brian glares at him, but he can't hide the fear in his eyes now.</p>
<p>When Peter grabbed this hunter, he was alone. Brian wasn't due to check back in with his 'family' until Monday, and it's just Friday now. He knows it, knows how easy it will be for Peter to make him disappear. He knows he hasn't seen the outside of the building Peter's using. </p>
<p>What he doesn't know is that Peter's already prepared a grave for him.</p>
<p>"It's not just tonight, either," Peter says, narrowing his eyes. "Two weeks ago, you had a little chat with someone and you could've saved us so much time if you'd just talked then."</p>
<p>Chris and Scott have talked to a lot of people in the past three weeks. They left Peter out of the loop, made him track down his own leads. And he'd come back to Brian, who'd sworn up and down he hadn't heard a word, hadn't known a thing.</p>
<p>"Two weeks," Peter growls. "Meanwhile my nephew is still missing and-"</p>
<p>He stops himself. He doesn't need to show this hunter how worried he is. Doesn't need to expose that part of himself. He's raw enough as it is.</p>
<p>Brian has to know how fucked he is. "Look, I'm not saying I didn't know, but-"</p>
<p>Peter strikes him in the face to shut him up. "You're dead. And if I don't find my nephew soon, I'm coming back for the rest of your family. I will raze your little hunting clique to the ground."</p>
<p>Brian doesn't get another chance to protest before Peter rips his throat out with his claws.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Peter was in Peru with Cora when Derek went missing. He didn't know anything about it until it was too late to track him down using the usual methods. The trail, the scent, had grown cold by the time Peter had an inkling.</p>
<p>Cora came with him for about a week, trying to help, but she soon realized there was nothing she could do. Her frustration and worry just got in the way. So Peter gave her hug and sent her back to her pack in Peru — with the promise he'd find her brother, or die trying.</p>
<p>She looked at him helplessly, but she nodded and listened. She believed him, too. Peter had done his best to repair the relationship between them, to build it back up again, and it had taken some work but they were on good terms.</p>
<p>He wished he could say the same for him and Derek. He'd given his nephew the space he needed, checking in with him from time to time, and he did feel like they could have things back — almost the way they used to be — with some more time.</p>
<p>But now, time is not a thing Peter has in great supply. He could kill McCall and Argent for keeping him out of the loop. For not telling him Derek was missing in the first place. Two weeks passed before Peter even figured it out, and only then because Derek wasn't answering Cora's calls. His own? Sometimes Derek would get into moods and ignore him. It didn't last too long, sometimes just a few days, maybe a week. So at first it was nothing to really worry about.</p>
<p>But when Derek wouldn't answer <em>Cora</em> — that's when Peter started to suspect something was wrong.</p>
<p>Derek had been spending time in Montana, but — Peter learned later — had taken a trip to Nevada. Peter's not sure why, since Derek wasn't much for deserts or gambling, When Peter finds Derek, asking why Nevada will be the last thing on his mind.</p>
<p>He tries not to dwell on the what-ifs, but he knows the longer it takes to find Derek, the less of a chance Derek has. He's not dead yet — Peter and Cora would be able to feel that — but if he's in a bad situation, that might change.</p>
<p>After Peter disposes of Brian's body, he calls Cora. "I've got a lead. I'm headed to Virginia."</p>
<p>"How good a lead?" she asks. "Is he… do we know what's going on yet?"</p>
<p>Peter sighs over the phone. "It's solid, but I still don't know."</p>
<p>"Okay. Okay." Cora takes a steadying breath Peter can clearly hear. "Do you need me?"</p>
<p>"Not yet. I don't know what I'm walking into," Peter answers truthfully. "I don't want to put you at risk, too."</p>
<p>"You shouldn't be doing this alone," Cora says with quiet frustration. "I feel so helpless. I can feel him and I know it's not good. I can feel him." She repeats the last softly.</p>
<p>Peter knows. His own pack bond with Derek isn't as strong as Cora's, but he can still feel how strained Derek is, the stress he's under. He can't tell much else, but he knows exactly what she means when she says 'it's not good'.</p>
<p>If he's going to Virginia, that means he'll be close to someone else who cares about Derek. Has anyone told Stiles what's going on? Maybe Peter should stop by on his way to find the Hayes family.</p>
<p>"What are you thinking?" Cora asks.</p>
<p>"I'm not sure," Peter says. "I just know I have to keep looking."</p>
<p>"Unlike other people who've already given up," she says bitterly.</p>
<p>Like Scott and Chris. They followed a few leads, went soft on their contacts, and decided they weren't going to find Derek. That he was just gone.</p>
<p>No, Stiles doesn't know. He couldn't. He'd never stop looking for Derek, or let Scott give up so easily. Everyone else could be oblivious to the feelings between Stiles and Derek, but Peter wasn't one of them. He could see things clearly, even when they weren't in the same room. Just hearing Derek talk about Stiles, seeing the look in Stiles's eyes…</p>
<p>But Derek hadn't done anything about it, and Stiles hadn't either. Maybe they were waiting for Stiles to be done with his training. Or maybe they were just idiots.</p>
<p>Peter sighs again. "I'm going to drop by and see Stiles. He may be able to help."</p>
<p>"How?" Cora asks dubiously.</p>
<p>"He's tenacious, good with research, and he's in love with your brother."</p>
<p>"I don't think I'd go that far," Cora says.</p>
<p>"You weren't around enough to see," Peter says. "Both of them are completely lovestruck. And oblivious idiots about it, too."</p>
<p>"Hmm," Cora says, sounding dubious. "If you think it'll help and not hurt your search, then yeah. But be careful. He's just human."</p>
<p>A smart, capable human with the same ruthless streak as Peter. </p>
<p>"I think it's the right call," Peter says, and the more he thinks about it, the more he's sure he's right.</p>
<p>They hang up then, not much more to say, and Peter scrolls through his contacts. He'd call Stiles if he thought it was a good idea, but he thinks telling him in person is a better idea. He's not a total dick.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"And you're just telling me this <em>now</em>?"</p>
<p>The fear and anxiety creeping into Stiles's scent are expected. The anger is not. </p>
<p>"I've been busy," Peter snaps. "Derek's fallen off the face of the earth and I haven't known long, not compared to Argent and McCall-"</p>
<p>"Wait, Scott knows? Scott knows and he didn't tell me either?"</p>
<p>"Focus, Stiles," Peter says, frustration creeping into his voice.</p>
<p>Stiles takes a breath and sets his jaw. "How long has he been missing?"</p>
<p>"Four weeks," Peter says.</p>
<p>The combined scent of Stiles's emotions grows stronger, no longer a storm brewing but a tempest raging right outside their windows. "Do you have any leads?"</p>
<p>"Just one," Peter says, wishing it was more. "A hunter here in Virginia might have had something to do with it."</p>
<p>Stiles meets his eyes and Peter sees a ruthless determination that matches his own. "Let me get my go bag."</p>
<p>"Don't you have classes?" Peter asks.</p>
<p>Stiles rolls his eyes and dismisses the question. He disappears into the bedroom and comes back out almost immediately with a full-looking duffel. "Let's go."</p>
<p>"You sure you've got everything you need?" Peter asks dubiously.</p>
<p>Stiles levels him with a look Peter hasn't seen in awhile. He's missed it. "I've been prepared for shit to hit the fan since I left Beacon Hills. I'm ready."</p>
<p>Stiles locks up his apartment and then they leave in Peter's rental car, headed out of Quantico, due north.</p>
<p>In the car, Stiles is silent at first, frantically tapping and swiping at his phone. After a few minutes he lets out a huff of air. "Fucking Scott."</p>
<p>"Let me see… he didn't want to bother you?" Peter asks snidely.</p>
<p>"Something like that." Stiles's phone rings but he doesn't answer. "He just doesn't get it. And if I have to talk to him right now, I'll say some things I shouldn't."</p>
<p>"Or things that are long past due," Peter murmurs.</p>
<p>"Where's Cora?" Stiles asks, ignoring his statement.</p>
<p>"She went back to Peru. She's leaving me in charge of the search."</p>
<p>"I bet that was hard for her," Stiles says.</p>
<p>Peter nods. Shrugs. "She knows I'll do whatever it takes to find Derek."</p>
<p>"I will, too," Stiles says, quiet but unmistakable.</p>
<p>"Even if it means getting your hands a little dirty?" Peter asks.</p>
<p>Stiles stares out the window. "Whatever it takes."</p>
<hr/>
<p>Claude Thatcher isn't hard to find, but that's down to Stiles. Peter was going to ask at the local diner where he could find his long lost cousin Claude, but Stiles shook his head at that plan.</p>
<p>"Then maybe someone tells him we're coming. No. Look, I already found him online."</p>
<p>So they know where he lives, where he works, where his mom lives, and that he's divorced with no children.</p>
<p>There's no security system on his modest house, and it's out in the country, down a dirt road. There are trees obscuring the view of the house from the road. Really, it's like the guy has no clue someone might come after him.</p>
<p>He's got a dog, but Peter flashes his eyes at it and gets it to whimper and run around the back of the house. Not good security.</p>
<p>"Some hunters breed dogs who can sniff out the supernatural and don't turn tail and run at the first sight of a werewolf," Peter says in a low voice.</p>
<p>"He's not that smart," Stiles murmurs, his eyes on the lamp they can see from the yard, through a curtain. The sun's been down for hours, and Peter wants to just bust in and get this over with.</p>
<p>Stiles keeps clenching and unclenching his fists, in between moments when he chews his thumbnail.</p>
<p>Peter listens, but he only hears one heartbeat. It's slow, and he thinks the hunter may have fallen asleep in his chair in front of the TV.</p>
<p>"I think I'll go knock on the door," Stiles says. "Then we can grab him."</p>
<p>"We?" Peter asks dryly.</p>
<p>"You," Stiles corrects with a flicker of a smile.</p>
<p>"Wait," Peter says, and walks up to the side door. There's a bare bulb on the house beside the door, and he unscrews it. "Okay." Now he won't be seen until it's too late.</p>
<p>Stiles takes a breath and walks up to the house. Knocks on the side door. Peter hears a clicking sound inside as Claude tries to turn on the outside light. Claude swears and opens the door anyway.</p>
<p>"Yeah?" he says, eyeing Stiles. He relaxes fractionally when he sees him. He thinks he's harmless.</p>
<p>"Yeah, I got my car stuck in the ditch and my phone's not getting any reception. Can I use yours to call for a tow?" Stiles asks. Not too fast, and it doesn't sound rehearsed. Just a boy looking for help. </p>
<p>Claude frowns. "Yeah, just a second."</p>
<p>He turns and Peter strikes. Grabs him around the neck in a firm chokehold. Stiles looks on with murder in his eyes. It's such a striking difference from the friendly boy he just pretended to be a moment ago.</p>
<p>Claude can't yell; Peter's got his airway restricted. Peter drags him into his house and motions for Stiles to check the room. Peter hates that they're doing this here — he'd much rather keep the hunter away from his home turf. But they're running out of time, so Stiles checks the room for weapons and finds quite a few. Peter doesn't see what he does with them, but he trusts Stiles to put them somewhere Claude can't make a grab for one.</p>
<p>Then Stiles pulls a chair into the living room from the kitchen and throws Peter a roll of duct tape.</p>
<p>"What the... hell is going on? Who are... you?" Claude asks after some coughing. </p>
<p>"How remiss of us," Peter says as he tapes Claude's wrists and ankles together. "We should have introduced ourselves, of course."</p>
<p>Stiles gives him an unamused look, then turns to look at the kitchen knives.</p>
<p>"I'm Peter Hale, and I'm looking for my nephew, Derek." Claude goes pale. Peter smiles nastily. "Oh, good. You remember him."</p>
<p>Stiles whips around and stalks toward the hunter with a knife in his hand. It's not the biggest from the block, but it looks sharp. "Where is he?"</p>
<p>"I... I don't know," Claude stutters out.</p>
<p>"You're full of <em>shit</em>," Stiles hisses, brandishing his knife. He touches the tip of the blade right under the hunter's chin. "Where's Derek?"</p>
<p>"Stiles," Peter says calmly, a little disturbed at how fast Stiles went to threatening for information. "Start a little smaller."</p>
<p>Stiles takes a breath, then moves the knife down lower. "Gut wounds hurt more, anyway."</p>
<p>Peter smiles at Claude. "As you can see, we're not exactly squeamish when it comes to questioning. You'd better start saying something more than 'I don't know' real soon, or Stiles here will gut you with your own kitchen knife."</p>
<p>"I really don't know where he is," Claude says, but before Stiles can do something, he blurts, "They move around a lot!"</p>
<p>"Who's 'they'?" Stiles asks before Peter can.</p>
<p>Claude shakes his head. "They run fights, that's all I know."</p>
<p>"And what did you do?" Peter asks. "What's your part in all this?"</p>
<p>The hunter pales further. "I needed the money for my mother's knee replacement."</p>
<p>"Did you <em>sell</em> Derek?" Stiles asks.</p>
<p>"Finder's fee," Claude mutters.</p>
<p>Stiles growls and hits him. "You son of a bitch." One punch isn't enough for him, though. He hits the hunter again, and again, dropping the knife and taking his frustration and anger out on the man's face.</p>
<p>"Stiles, that's enough," Peter says, but to no avail. He has to physically pull Stiles off the man to get him to stop. When Stiles finally looks at him, there are tears in his eyes.</p>
<p>"We're going to find Derek," Peter promises him. "But Claude here needs to be conscious so he can answer more questions."</p>
<p>"Don't know… anything… that would help," Claude slurs, blood dribbling out of his mouth.</p>
<p>Stiles wipes his face with the back of an arm and picks up his knife again. "You tell us everything you know and we'll decide what will help."</p>
<p>If Peter had any doubts about how much Stiles actually loves Derek, they're gone now. Stiles is on the edge, worse than Peter. Maybe because he doesn't have a lot of experience at this and maybe because he can't compartmentalize as well as Peter. Whatever the reason, Peter knows it's his responsibility to watch out for the boy.</p>
<p>Because it's clear how close to toppling over that edge Stiles is, and Peter's sure he doesn't even see it. </p>
<p>After they get the information out of Claude, Stiles looks at Peter. "We can't have him coming after us."</p>
<p>"I won't!" Claude says.</p>
<p>"Give me the knife, sweetheart," Peter says gently. "I'll take care of him."</p>
<p>"Please!" the hunter calls out, but Peter isn't listening. Stiles is, though.</p>
<p>"Shut up," Stiles snarls. "You <em>sold</em> him."</p>
<p>"Go clean up, Stiles," Peter says. "You've got blood all over your hands."</p>
<p>Stiles looks at his hands, but it's like he's looking right through them. He nods, though, and goes to wash his hands in the kitchen sink.</p>
<p>Peter tilts his head to look at Claude. "He's right, you know. You signed your life away when you sold my nephew. You just didn't know it."</p>
<p>Claude starts to cry. Peter scoffs and sets the knife down. For a moment, hope blooms on the hunter's face, as if he didn't hear what Peter said. Peter just shakes his head and pops his claws.</p>
<p>"I prefer to use my own tools."</p>
<p>He gets behind the hunter so the blood spray doesn't hit him, then claws open his throat.</p>
<p>Peter joins Stiles at the sink. The water is running clear now, but Stiles doesn't seem to notice.</p>
<p>"Okay?" Peter asks him.</p>
<p>Stiles looks up. There's a bit of a lost kind of look on his face. "What if we don't find him in time?"</p>
<p>Peter washes his hands, then uses a wet dishcloth to wash some blood from Stiles's cheek. Stiles holds still and lets him do it. Peter nods. "We will." Nothing else is acceptable.</p>
<p>Stiles nods back. Probably thinking the same thing, but maybe just taking Peter at his word.</p>
<hr/>
<p>They have another name, a contact Claude gave up who will know how to get ahold of the traffickers. </p>
<p>Claude had been particularly chatty once they threatened to go after his mother. Apparently she knew nothing about the supernatural, was just a harmless old woman, but Stiles hadn't cared. He'd been the one to suggest they find her, use her as leverage. Peter had talked him out of it, but the threat alone had been enough to get Claude spewing everything he knew.</p>
<p>They rest on the plane to Nevada. It would be disingenuous to call it sleep.</p>
<p>Stiles emails his instructors or whoever needs emailing, and Peter doesn't ask him how he's explaining away his absences. </p>
<p>They get a motel room in a small town outside of Reno. It's more of a small apartment, really, and Peter pays for two weeks up front, not knowing how long they'll need it. It's in the back of the motel complex, and it boasts a kitchenette. </p>
<p>"Not much of a boast," Stiles says when he sees it. Then he sits down on the couch and pulls out his laptop. Peter gets a legal pad and pen. Then they start to plan.</p>
<p>It's not a foolproof plan, but it's the best they have. Stiles will play the part of a small-time hunter and habitual gambler who needs money. Peter will be his way out of debt. Stiles needs to get ahold of something that looks like liquid wolfsbane, but that part won't be hard.</p>
<p>Finding Derek isn't even the hard part, they don't think. It'll be getting out once they're in. Maybe.</p>
<p>They aren't sure. They don't know what the security looks like, or what kind of precautions the ring has made.</p>
<p>"I don't want to have to save both of you, so you need to do this right," Stiles tells Peter, a tremble in his voice.</p>
<p>In other words, he's not sure if he can do it alone, and Peter'd better not fuck up their one chance at getting Derek out and safe again.</p>
<p>And then, when Peter's been trying not to think about it, Stiles says, "What if it's not just fighting?"</p>
<p>Something about Derek has always made people want to prey on him. Maybe it was his inherent goodness, or maybe it was the way he looked when he was down and out. He's gorgeous and Peter's not afraid to admit that. But everyone from Kate onward has wanted to control him, to put in him a position of powerlessness. Peter and Stiles may be looking at a situation they're not equipped for.</p>
<p>The thought of Derek being raped by a bunch of overzealous hunters has Peter's gorge on the rise. He knows Stiles is right. It might be more than just fighting.</p>
<p>"I don't know," Peter says in a quiet voice. </p>
<p>"I'll fucking kill them all," Stiles says, but he sounds more helplessly frustrated than angry or murderous. When Peter examines his face, he sees the boy's eyes are full of tears again.</p>
<p>"Come here," Peter says.</p>
<p>Stiles frowns, but scoots over closer to him. Peter puts an arm around him. </p>
<p>"We have to focus," Peter says. "We can't get bogged down with what-ifs. We'll take whatever comes, and we'll keep our focus on Derek, no matter what. He's alive, I know that much, and we've just got to make sure he stays that way."</p>
<p>"What else do you feel?" Stiles asks, still a little stiff against Peter's side, but not pulling away.</p>
<p>"Our bond isn't as strong as it used to be; the impressions I get are very faint. But sometimes I get spikes of anger from him, so he's still… he's still in there. He's still fighting them."</p>
<p>"Is that all?" Stiles asks. "Can he feel <em>you</em>? Does he know we're coming?"</p>
<p>Peter shakes his head. "I wish I could say he does. He probably doesn't think I would come for him."</p>
<p>Stiles swallows. "But you love him. He's your family. Of course you'd-"</p>
<p>"Our relationship is healing, but it's still shaky. Was shaky, I mean, before he was taken."</p>
<p>"Can you try to send something down the bond?"</p>
<p>Peter sighs. "I've tried. It doesn't usually work like that, and especially not on a bond as weak as ours."</p>
<p>"But he's alive, and angry, and… he'll hang in there," Stiles says, mostly to himself. "We're close."</p>
<p>"We are. And if we find him in less than great condition, we'll get him back to himself, thanks to you."</p>
<p>"What do you mean?" Stiles mumbles. He smells exhausted and Peter wonders if he's going to fall asleep leaning against him.</p>
<p>"Werewolves deal with stress in different ways. He might check out, mentally, a lot like a human would. Or he may go feral." He could already be there, Peter doesn't add.</p>
<p>"What good will I be?" Stiles asks.</p>
<p>"He… he cares for you," Peter says, not wanting to bring up the L-word just yet. It's obvious, but maybe not to Stiles. He doesn't want to shock him out of rest if he's about to fall asleep. "I think you're a kind of touchstone for him." There's a lot he's not saying.</p>
<p>"I'll do anything I can," Stiles mumbles. He turns his head but ends up sliding down a bit so that his head is resting against Peter's chest. </p>
<p>"Whatever it takes, right?" Peter says quietly.</p>
<p>Stiles hums, and then his breath evens out. Peter doesn't move, not wanting to wake him. Stiles needs sleep more than he does.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Peter dozes. Eventually, he ends up lying on the couch with Stiles sleeping on top of him. It's far from comfortable, but it's the kind of tactile interaction his wolf craves, as agitated and restless as it is right now. Stiles is safe. Stiles almost feels like pack, and that's a big deal for someone as wary and careful as Peter.</p>
<p>But it also means he's bound to care more about what happens to Stiles, and there are so many ways this plan of theirs can go wrong.</p>
<p>"I can hear that," Stiles groans. He sits up, planting an elbow in Peter's belly to do so. Peter oofs and Stiles gives him half a smile. "Is it morning?"</p>
<p>Peter flicks the drape open a bit and winces at the light coming through. "Definitely. Now, what can you hear?"</p>
<p>"You worrying about what's going to happen," Stiles says, and then his stomach growls. He stands up and stretches. </p>
<p>Peter sits up and rubs his face. "I'll get us some breakfast."</p>
<p>"I don't know if I can eat," Stiles says, but his stomach growls again and he flushes.</p>
<p>Peter raises his eyebrows.</p>
<p>Stiles shrugs. "Okay. Why don't we go get something together?"</p>
<p>"Alright," Peter concedes. "There's a diner next door." And it's obvious Stiles doesn't want to be left alone with his worries.</p>
<p>Peter doesn't blame him. He'd rather have company in his misery as well.</p>
<p>Peter orders for Stiles, making sure he's got plenty of carbs and protein to keep him going. Stiles gives him a funny look, but lets him do it anyway. However, when Peter tries to make do with coffee for himself, Stiles objects and makes sure he gets a meal as good as his own.</p>
<p>"I know, it's annoying, right?" Stiles says when Peter frowns at him.</p>
<p>Peter sighs. He's got him there.</p>
<p>They eat in silence, and as time goes on, Stiles starts to smell more of anxiety.</p>
<p>Peter looks at his watch and understands. They only have a few hours until they put their plan into motion. </p>
<p>Stiles can't finish his pancakes, but that's okay. He ate enough. Peter's got an ache in his gut from anxiety as well, plus the bond with Derek feels stretched thin, even though he knows he's got to be closer than ever now.</p>
<p>Their eyes meet, and a look of grim determination passes between them. Stiles looks away first, and Peter pays the check.</p>
<hr/>
<p>The plan goes off without a hitch — at least the first part. Whether the rest will go as well remains to be seen.</p>
<p>The number Claude gave up has a Las Vegas area code. Stiles uses a burner to make contact, which won't be seen as suspicious because that's just good sense for a hunter doing highly illegal, Code-breaking activities. He gives the name Haynes, which is close enough to Hayes that it slides right by without remark.</p>
<p>They arrange a meet-up and by the time Stiles hangs up, he's shaking.</p>
<p>"Okay?" Peter asks him.</p>
<p>Stiles clenches his fists. "Yeah. I can do this. You're the one going into the most danger."</p>
<p>"It's nothing," Peter lies. </p>
<p>Stiles gives him a look that says he's not buying it one bit. </p>
<p>Peter shrugs. "Whatever it takes, right?"</p>
<p>"I'm starting to get sick of hearing that," Stiles mutters. "No matter how true it is."</p>
<p>"I will get Derek back," Peter says.</p>
<p>"<em>We</em> will," Stiles says like a vow.</p>
<p>"Let's lock up and go," Peter says. "We've got a drive ahead of us."</p>
<p>Stiles quirks his lips. "You wanna go ahead and get in the trunk?" </p>
<p>"No thanks," Peter says.</p>
<p>On the drive, he calls Cora, fills her in. She doesn't like the plan, but she understands it's all they've got.</p>
<p>"Maybe you should get some backup, though," she says worriedly.</p>
<p>"I called Braeden," Peter says, making Stiles turn to stare at him.</p>
<p>"You were going to tell me this when?" Stiles asks.</p>
<p>"It's just a precaution. I doubt we'll need her," Peter says to them both.</p>
<p>Stiles shakes his head. He smells hurt. Peter wasn't sure how he'd react to Derek's former girlfriend showing up, so he kept it to himself until the last minute. Now Stiles is looking at him like Peter betrayed a sacred trust.</p>
<p>He hangs up with Cora. "Stiles, what's the matter?"</p>
<p>Stiles's eyes bulge and he flails his hands. "What's the <em>matter</em>?"</p>
<p>"Keep your hands on the wheel, please," Peter says mildly.</p>
<p>"You fucker," Stiles seethes, staring ahead now.</p>
<p>"Are you upset that I called someone else in, or that I called Braeden in?" Peter asks.</p>
<p>Stiles huffs. "I'm fucking pissed off because you didn't <em>tell me</em>!"</p>
<p>"Are you sure that's all?"</p>
<p>"What's that supposed to mean?" Stiles snaps.</p>
<p>Peter's silent, hoping Stiles will come to the conclusion himself. Stiles doesn't seem jealous, though. Maybe he isn't. Maybe he's secure in the knowledge that Braeden and Derek didn't work out, and wouldn't be getting back together. </p>
<p>Stiles finally breaks the silence with a quiet, "Why didn't you tell me?"</p>
<p>"I wasn't sure how you'd react," Peter says honestly.</p>
<p>"As long as they're competent and not getting in our way, the more the merrier!" Stiles says. "We need as much advantage as we can get, and Braeden is a huge advantage."</p>
<p>"Okay," Peter says slowly. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you."</p>
<p>Stiles double takes at that. "You're apologizing?"</p>
<p>Peter smiles. "Yes, Stiles."</p>
<p>"Oh," Stiles says, sounding bewildered and a little happy. "Well… okay, you're forgiven. But have you left out anything else?"</p>
<p>"No, we've gone over everything. I'm not leaving out anything else. We'll meet Braeden in Vegas two hours before the meet-up, so she can get in position."</p>
<p>Stiles nods. "She can follow on a bike better than I can."</p>
<p>"You won't be following at all," Peter reminds him. </p>
<p>They'd argued on this point, but in the end decided it was safer for Stiles to hang back and wait for Peter to contact him. It left Peter without a safety net, but now that he has Braeden in on it, he feels better.</p>
<p>Stiles seems to feel the same way. "I'm glad she's on our side."</p>
<p>Peter silently agrees. The drive to Las Vegas is tense, but Peter's not sure what to say to break it. They're both on edge. They know how much is on the line, and Peter's got the added bonus of putting his own life up there with Derek's. He doesn't know if Stiles cares about that part, or what, since he's not sharing. Either way, the tension is thick and the anxiety such a strong scent Peter has to crack the windows.</p>
<p>They meet Braeden just on the outskirts of the city, in the parking lot of a drive-thru wedding chapel.</p>
<p>They go over the plan, and Braeden points out more than a few flaws. </p>
<p>"We know," Stiles says quietly. "We just need to get this done as soon as possible. There's no telling what hell Derek's going through."</p>
<p>Braeden nods, but offers a few suggestions. Then she shows off her <em>pièce de résistance</em>: a tracker for Peter to wear. Under his skin, it turns out.</p>
<p>Braeden grins at their wonder. "Stiles and I can keep tabs on you that way, just in case I lose you on the road or if they move you again when I'm not able to follow."</p>
<p>Stiles closes his eyes and looks like he might cry, or pray, or maybe both. "Thank you."</p>
<p>"There are two. I want you to break one when you find Derek. That'll be our cue."</p>
<p>Peter looks dubious. "Unless they find them and break them both, then they'll be waiting for you to come, and we'll all be in a world of shit."</p>
<p>But Braeden shakes her head. "They won't check for trackers. We're not talking a highly sophisticated group here, as far as I can tell. They're not exactly small time, but not the big leagues, either."</p>
<p>"How much do you know about them?" Stiles asks.</p>
<p>"I asked around Vegas a little, went to one of their fights last night. It was brutal, but-"</p>
<p>"Did you see Derek?" Stiles asks.</p>
<p>Peter rolls his eyes. "She would have led with that if she did."</p>
<p>Braeden ignores him and gives Stiles a soft look. "No, but that doesn't mean anything. I think they rotate their fighters, to keep people coming back." </p>
<p>"How did the fighters look?" Peter asks quietly.</p>
<p>"Honestly?" She sighs. "I wouldn't bet on all of them being captives. It's really gladiator-esque. Some of the fighters seemed to really relish the roar of the crowd. So you've probably got some in it for money or drugs, and some in it because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time."</p>
<p>This is actually good news to Peter. At least this way, he won't be looking for a way to save everyone. Not that he would be focused on anyone else but Derek, but Stiles might have wanted to save people.</p>
<p>Stiles barely blinks at the new information, though. "What were the fights like? How violent?"</p>
<p>Braeden's lips tighten. "They aren't fighting to the death, but it's a near thing."</p>
<p>Peter thinks back on Derek's childhood, on the kid who never wanted to hunt with the rest of the pack because he didn't want to hurt innocent animals. He outgrew that stage, but he still remained a peaceful person, for the most part, at least until Peter killed Laura and set him down a path of blood. Derek didn't like hurting people. He'd do it, if he had to, but he never liked it.</p>
<p>He'd really hate hurting people who were in a bad situation. Maybe not the 'gladiators', but other werewolves in captivity? He'd hate it.</p>
<p>"I've got other supplies, too," Braeden says. "An antidote to most strains of wolfsbane, full first aid kit, plenty of guns-"</p>
<p>"We've got guns," Stiles says. He'd taken Claude's arsenal when they left his place in Virginia.</p>
<p>Braeden shrugs. "You might like mine better. Plus I've got flashbangs."</p>
<p>Stiles grins at her.</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <strong>STILES</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The wait is excruciating. Braeden tries, but she can't get his mind off all the what-ifs. Stiles is worried for Derek, worried for Peter. Not knowing what's going on is driving him crazy, and his nails are bitten to the quick and bleeding.</p>
<p>"Stop that," Braeden says, swiping at his hands. </p>
<p>"Ugh, they haven't moved Peter in two days," Stiles says. "How's he going to find Derek if they don't move him to wherever he is?"</p>
<p>"I don't know," she says. "We just have to be patient."</p>
<p>Stiles narrows his eyes at the two overlapping blips on the screen, willing them to move. "Meanwhile, they're doing who knows what to him. Them."</p>
<p>"Peter can take it," she reminds him. "Remember, he's ready for anything. He'll do anything to get Derek back."</p>
<p>"I hate that he has to."</p>
<p>Braeden tilts her head and looks at him quietly.</p>
<p>"What?" Stiles asks. He's feeling a little defensive.</p>
<p>She shakes her head. "You care about both of them. I thought it was just Derek."</p>
<p>Stiles doesn't know what to say to that. Braeden's phone blips with a text and she reads it with a frown.</p>
<p>"Change of plans," she murmurs.</p>
<p>"What?"</p>
<p>Braeden looks up and gives him a sharp smile. "Word is that they're fighting ferals tonight."</p>
<p>Stiles thinks back on what Peter told him about how Derek might handle captivity. "Are we going?" He doesn't want to, but he needs to see if it's Derek. He needs to see.</p>
<p>"Of course," she answers.</p>
<p>The address is two streets away from where they're holding Peter. How they'll do this, Stiles doesn't know, but he knows if he sees Derek, he'll do what he can to get him out as soon as possible. But that would mean doing it without Peter's help, and leaving Peter in that place for longer.</p>
<p>But he doesn't know the full situation yet. Maybe they won't find Derek. Maybe Peter will see him first. </p>
<p>This whole situation is one big fucking mess.</p>
<p>"What time?" Stiles asks. </p>
<p>"We've got an hour and a half. We need to make sure you're dressed right."</p>
<p>Stiles looks down at his plaid overshirt and graphic tee and winces. He can see her point.</p>
<p>Braeden sighs. "You can wear something of Peter's."</p>
<hr/>
<p>People aren't just there to watch, but to bet on the outcome of the fights. It turns Stiles's stomach, but he takes his cue from Braeden and acts like nothing affects him.</p>
<p>The crowd is larger than Stiles was expecting, and they're packed inside an abandoned theater. On the stage is a cage, where the fights take place. Stiles wonders what kinds of things they've used to make the cage were-proof. Something nasty, no doubt.</p>
<p>Someone nearby keeps whispering about 'the ferals' that are supposed to show up later. For now, Stiles watches dispassionately as werewolves fight it out, complete with blood and torn skin. They work up the crowd, smiling with mouths full of fangs. Definitely not there against their will. </p>
<p>The fighting itself is nothing he hasn't seen before, but in this venue it just seems so wrong. Thinking of Derek forced to fight like this has him simmering with anger.</p>
<p>Braeden suddenly takes his hand, and it's a good thing. Stiles might have done something stupid when he saw Derek for the first time, and there he is.</p>
<p>Derek's filthy, shirtless, and his eyes are glowing blue. His beard is overgrown. And there's nothing human in his face at all, just animal instinct as he fights the handlers moving him from a pen to the fighting cage.</p>
<p>Stiles can only think of Derek in a soft sweater with long sleeves and thumb holes, smiling, looking soft and huggable. Stiles squeezes Braeden's hand tight instead of crying.</p>
<p>Another werewolf is dragged out of a pen, and she looks just as wild as Derek. All Stiles can think is <em>Oh, no.</em></p>
<p>He wishes he could look away, but he can't. His eyes are glued to Derek. He holds on tight to Braeden's hand, nearly breaking it when Derek fights and quickly kills his opponent. Maybe later, Stiles will think of it as a mercy. </p>
<p>"Shit," Braeden whispers.</p>
<p>He can barely hear her above the roar of the crowd. They love it. The blood, the gore, the violence. They've taken Derek's humanity from him and they're happy about it.</p>
<p>Well, the crowd is. One of the handlers doesn't look too happy. He's about to fly into a rage, if his face is any indication, and it looks to be directed at Derek.</p>
<p>"C'mon," Braeden tells him, and they weave their way through the crowd, then find themselves backstage just in time to see the handler use a cattle prod on Derek to get him into a cage at the back of a van.</p>
<p>"Go," Stiles tells Braeden, and she's slipping outside before he can say more, presumably to get her bike to follow the van.</p>
<p>She'll follow, find out where they're keeping him, and then — hopefully — together they'll find a way to get Derek out.</p>
<p>Then they have to get Peter out. <em>Or</em> they'll get Peter out and then Derek? God, it's a mess. They don't even know how Peter's doing, and Stiles isn't going to have fingernails at all by the time this is over.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Stiles goes back to the motel to wait. He hates having to wait, and he hates having to do it alone. He prefers shared misery and anxiety, to be honest. This way he's just pacing and sitting to look at a screen that tells him very little.</p>
<p>Except this time…</p>
<p>He looks at Peter's trackers and sees that he's been moved again. There's a limitation on the software and he doesn't know exactly where Peter is, but he can tell it's closer to the theater where the fight was held tonight.</p>
<p>"Fuck it," Stiles says. He can't wait anymore. He needs to do something.</p>
<p>He gets into Peter's car and follows the blips on the screen. Halfway to his destination, one of the trackers blinks out, and Stiles's heart starts racing. That's the signal. Peter's found Derek.</p>
<p>Which means wherever they are, Braeden should be right there.</p>
<p>He texts her. He really shouldn't text while driving, but it's an emergency.</p>
<p>
  <em>I'm closing in on P and D's location.</em>
</p>
<p>She calls him immediately. Her voice is hushed. "I'm outside a warehouse right now, they took Derek in about fifteen minutes ago."</p>
<p>"And you didn't tell me this... why?" Stiles asks, feeling pissy and anxious and over-hyped. "Never mind. Peter's in there, too. See if you can scout it out, and I'll be there as soon as I can."</p>
<p>He's got an arsenal in the trunk, and helps him feel a little more confident. He's ready to do some damage to get to his werewolves.</p>
<p>"Putting my phone on silent. I'll text you," Braeden says, and hangs up before Stiles can wish her luck. </p>
<p>He parks two buildings down from the Peter blip on his phone. The app works pretty well, though not as good as the laptop program. He doesn't know how close the signal will take him. This isn't a video game.</p>
<p>God, he wishes it was. </p>
<p>He closes his eyes and forces himself to focus on reality. He pops the trunk and gets out of the car. There's no one around to see him arm himself, which is good because they'd definitely call the cops. Or, if they were a bad guy, possibly just kill him then and there before he could use the weapons on them.</p>
<p>He's still not the best shot with a handgun, but thanks to FBI training, he's steady and competent under pressure. He's damn good with a rifle, but this isn't really a situation that calls for long-range weaponry.</p>
<p>The best thing he's got is his knife, though. It's been strapped to his belt since he got out of the theater. It's near-silent and deadly as fuck, and that's what he needs to be.</p>
<p>He follows the blip on his phone, hugging the wall of the building, sticking to the shadows. </p>
<p>When he's close enough to the warehouse, he sees two guards standing outside the main door. Right, he'll be turning around now. Well, he would if he thought there was somewhere to go.</p>
<p>He hears a quick whistle and grabs his knife, looks around. He hears it again nearly gets hit on the head with small rock. He looks up and doesn't see anything, but he knows it's Braeden. His phone vibrates and he moves away from the warehouse before taking it out so the light doesn't alert the guards.</p>
<p>
  <em>There's a rope ladder on the east end of the building. Get on the roof.</em>
</p>
<p>He doesn't question how Braeden got a ladder up there. She's Braeden. </p>
<p>He creeps along and finds the rope ladder, then scrambles up as quick as he can, then pulls it up behind him so it won't be spotted. Braeden's already crouched in place with a pair of small binoculars, looking down from what looks like a skylight. </p>
<p>Stiles takes his place beside her. "Peter broke a tracker," he whispers, which he thinks is the most important information he can give her. "They're both here."</p>
<p>She hands him the binoculars without comment, only points down.</p>
<p>He sucks in a breath when he sees them. Them. Derek <em>and</em> Peter. They're in separate cages but next to each other. They're both bloody but look mostly intact, and Stiles can see Peter is talking. To Derek, maybe?</p>
<p>"We're here for you," Stiles murmurs. He hopes Peter can hear him. </p>
<p>Peter gives a nod.</p>
<p>Stiles lets out a breath. "We'll get you both out. Somehow."</p>
<p>He wishes he could say more, maybe voice the emotions choking him up. Just seeing the two men alive and breathing is enough to make Stiles want to cry.</p>
<p>He really needs to stop this crying bullshit, but he knows it's one of those brain chemical reactions to the relief he's feeling.</p>
<p>Braeden puts a hand on his shoulder and squeezes a little. It's kind but it's also a reminder to get a hold on himself, because they have work to do.</p>
<p>"Okay," Stiles whispers. He looks around the warehouse, a bird's eye view he's thankful for, and counts guards. There aren't that many. They must rely a lot on whatever they're using to keep the werewolves captive. There's probably mountain ash involved. Stiles hopes so. He's gotten extremely good at manipulating that shit.</p>
<p>It's not magic, not exactly. He just has an affinity for making mountain ash work. And not work, to make it <em>stop</em> working. Sometimes, he's been able to sense it. Maybe now can be one of those times.</p>
<p>He hands the binoculars back to Braeden and closes his eyes to focus. He takes some deep breaths and tries to call back the memory of working with mountain ash, the way it feels. It's only about thirty seconds before it practically lights up in his mind.</p>
<p>There's a <em>lot</em> of mountain ash in the warehouse. It's all over. It's in the bars of the cages and ringed around on the floor. There's none up on the roof, but it's everywhere else. </p>
<p>It's a good thing Stiles knows what to do with it. He doesn't even have to be close to it anymore to make it do his bidding. He's not magic, not exactly. He can't light a candle without a match, or make a pencil float. He can tell mountain ash exactly what he wants it to do, though. And while he can't do anything truly spectacular in this situation, since the guards are all presumably human, he can definitely get it to stop holding Peter and Derek where they aren't meant to be held.</p>
<p>He imagines there are other captives in the warehouse, too. He's not sure what to do with them. If they're feral like Derek, setting them free on Las Vegas is just irresponsible. But maybe…</p>
<p>He attaches the rope ladder to the top of the skylight, and that's the last well thought-out action he takes until it's over.</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <strong>PETER</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"We're here for you," are the sweetest words Peter's ever heard. They come from overhead, but Peter doesn't look up, not wanting to give away Stiles's position. </p>
<p>Derek doesn't seem to hear. He's snarling low, and Peter's been trying to talk to him since he got here. </p>
<p>When the fight starts, Peter's not sure what's happening. Not at first, anyway. One of the feral captives gets loose, and then another, and a guard immediately tries to use a prod to get them back in their cages. But something's wrong…</p>
<p>And that's when Peter realizes: the mountain ash barriers are gone. Not the one around his own cage, or Derek's, but around two — no, three — of the feral werewolves. And the ferals are attacking the guards.</p>
<p>Really, they probably would have just attacked each other if the first guard hadn't immediately gotten violent. And now he's down, dead, and two other guards are bleeding out.</p>
<p>"How many more?" Stiles asks from above, and Peter immediately tells him.</p>
<p>"Three, two outside and one in- wait, just the two outside," he quickly amends when the last guard goes down. He uses fingers and hand signs to get his point across just in case Stiles can't hear him.</p>
<p>"Focus, Stiles," Braeden says, and Peter looks up to see Stiles holding his hands toward the interior of the warehouse, probably manipulating the mountain ash.</p>
<p>Peter's cage is suddenly very easy to break out of.</p>
<p>"Stay there, though," Braeden says, and then Stiles has mountain ash circles around the other werewolves. Good. No ferals are going to kill him then.</p>
<p>Peter stays still until he's given the okay, and then he scans the warehouse again. He can hear the heartbeats of the guards outside, but the fight inside was relatively quiet and over so fast it didn't draw attention.</p>
<p>He turns to Derek's cage. The mountain ash is still holding him in, and Derek shakes the bars of his cage with a roar.</p>
<p>"Hold on, pup," Peter tells him, trying to keep his voice calm, practically begging Derek to recognize him. "We'll get you out of there soon."</p>
<p>Braeden and Stiles climb down a rope ladder from the skylight. Braeden moves as smoothly as a supernatural creature, but Stiles isn't as clumsy as he would have been a year ago. FBI training has done him good.</p>
<p>Stiles makes his way to Peter first. "You okay?"</p>
<p>Peter looks at him in surprise. He's not used to being checked on first, or being anyone's priority. He knows Stiles loves Derek, and is probably procrastinating, but it still touches something inside Peter, some feeling he wasn't aware he could have.</p>
<p>"Whatever happened was worth it," Peter tells him. </p>
<p>Stiles gives him a long look, his eyes full of questions. Of course he wants to know what Peter's been through with these people, but Peter's not about to whine about a few beatings. Not when his nephew is in the state he is.</p>
<p>Stiles nods, as if he can read Peter's mind, and turns to Derek's cage. "Hey, big guy. We're getting you out of here."</p>
<p>Derek snarls and rattles his cage.</p>
<p>Stiles sighs. "Yeah, I was afraid of that. Braeden?"</p>
<p>Peter knows it's necessary, but he still doesn't like seeing Braeden shoot Derek with tranquilizers. Derek fights it at first, but then he falls down, growling a little, but then he's out.</p>
<p>"How long will that last?" Peter asks.</p>
<p>"You'll have to give him more in an hour," Braeden says.</p>
<p>Peter feels the mountain ash barrier fall, and then he rips open Derek's cage. "What are we doing with the ferals?"</p>
<p>"I'll stay here after we take care of the guards," Braeden says. "Stiles already sent McCall and Argent a message to come take care of this mess."</p>
<p>It's a good plan. Ordinarily, Argent would probably just put the ferals down, but Scott will want to save them. Maybe if they find their packs, they'll get them back to themselves.</p>
<p>And hopefully Peter and Stiles can do the same for Derek. It'll take some time, but Peter's stubborn and he knows Stiles is, too. They won't give up on Derek. </p>
<p>"We'll take a van to our motel in Reno, then figure out what to do from there," Peter says decisively.</p>
<p>"Sounds like a plan," Stiles murmurs, approaching Derek's still form. He kneels beside him and runs a hand through his filthy hair. Peter and Braeden exchange a knowing look before Braeden hands over the rest of her tranqs.</p>
<p>"I'm a little disappointed that I didn't get to use the flashbangs," Braeden says. "Maybe next time, right?"</p>
<p>Stiles huffs a laugh and gets up again. "You're welcome to use them on the guards outside."</p>
<p>"Nah. I'll just gut them," Braeden says nonchalantly.</p>
<p>"Just hide the bodies before Scott shows up," Stiles says.</p>
<p>"Right," she says, and heads toward the front door. She knocks on the inside, probably confusing the guard outside. She makes quick work of him when he stupidly opens the door to see what's going on.</p>
<p>Which leaves one guard, on the east side. Peter'd take care of it, but Braeden seems to have things under control. Peter picks Derek up and carries him out the door, with Stiles following right behind. </p>
<p>"I'll take your rental back to the agency?" Braeden calls to him.</p>
<p>Peter holds up a hand, waving at her without looking. "Thanks."</p>
<p>Stiles turns and probably gives Braeden a much more sincere gesture of gratitude. That may be what the situation calls for, but Peter's already thinking of how much money he should wire Braeden to show his own gratitude.</p>
<p>"Stay in touch!" Stiles calls to her, then jogs to catch up to Peter and Derek.</p>
<hr/>
<p>The drive from Las Vegas to Reno has never seemed to so long, though it's only seven hours. Thankfully, they have enough tranquilizer to keep Derek asleep. </p>
<p>Stiles drives. Peter stays in the back of the van with Derek, just in case the tranq wears off unexpectedly and he attacks.</p>
<p>On the way to their rented place in Reno, Peter starts having doubts. They could use a more secure place for Derek, and he's not sure the motel is the right place for this.</p>
<p>Thankfully, Braeden has a solution. She calls him four hours into their drive, says she has a buddy not far from where they are now, and he's got a safehouse that can accomodate a feral werewolf.</p>
<p>What luck. But also, "How'd you know where we are?" Peter aks.</p>
<p>He can almost hear her smirk over the phone. "You've still got your tracker in. Try to get it out without breaking this one?"</p>
<p>Peter grunts. He'd completely forgotten the tracker. </p>
<p>He gets the directions and relays them to Stiles. Derek stirs and Peter finds himself mimicking Stiles's actions from before by petting his hair. "We'll be somewhere soon, pup."</p>
<p>Derek opens his eyes sleepily. Peter tries not to tense. </p>
<p>"It's okay. It's just me. Stiles is driving. We're taking you somewhere safe."</p>
<p>Derek blinks. He looks groggy as hell from the tranq, and Peter's sure he doesn't recognize him. He certainly didn't when he wasn't drugged up. But Peter keeps talking. </p>
<p>"Go back to sleep, pup. You're safe. You're out of that place, and nobody's hurting you again."</p>
<p>He knows it's not a promise he can absolutely keep, but he can try his damnedest.</p>
<p>Derek's eyes aren't quite as wild as he looks at Peter this time. Maybe the drugs are keeping him docile, but Peter can't help but hope it's a good sign.</p>
<p>He dares to touch Derek again, running his fingers through filthy hair. It's too long, and so is Derek's beard, but that's nothing to worry about now. He's safe. He's right here. </p>
<p>Stiles is quiet up front, though Peter's sure he heard him talking. Peter doesn't mind. Stiles loves Derek, would do anything for him, just like Peter would. He won't hold Peter's soft words against him. </p>
<p>Derek slips back into sleep and Peter lets out a breath. He picks up his phone and calls Cora.</p>
<p>"Did you find him?" she asks immediately, before he can even say hello.</p>
<p>"Yes, we've got him. He's safe," Peter says.</p>
<p>Cora lets out a breath that sounds more like a sob than air. "Thank- thank-"</p>
<p>Peter looks down at Derek and feels the bond between them, the thin, barely-there thread that tells him Derek's alive but not well, but safe, he's <em>safe</em>.</p>
<p>"We're taking him to a safehouse," Peter says. "Stiles is driving."</p>
<p>Cora breathes audibly. "How is Derek? I'm almost afraid to ask."</p>
<p>"Feral," Peter says bluntly.</p>
<p>"I'm coming up," she says, as if he doesn't already know this.</p>
<p>"We need to get him settled and stable first," Peter says. "But yes. The more pack the better."</p>
<p>"I wish we had more," Cora murmurs. "Shit."</p>
<p>Peter winces. He wishes there was more to their pack, too. An alpha presence would do Derek a world of good, but they're just going to have to work with what they have.</p>
<p>He looks toward the driver's seat. Well, they have the boy Derek loves, and there's not a lot that can beat that.</p>
<p>He knows Stiles will do anything to see Derek is healed, and Peter feels the same. In this, they are together.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Please leave a comment if you liked it.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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